


Into Eternity

by shadowpyxy_pyxydust



Series: Many Lives, Many Selves, One Partner [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 04:45:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6785770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowpyxy_pyxydust/pseuds/shadowpyxy_pyxydust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lightning comes home from a several month long emergency deployment having missed Serah and Snow's wedding. Serah decided to throw a welcome home party for her, and they invite the gang. Hope is struck speechless by the unknown soldier before him; he now understands what Snow meant when he said he saw forever in Serah's eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> Statements in double quotes are speech, statements without quotes are thoughts, and single quotes are special based on their context (onomatopoeia, euphemism, quoting another, etc.). 
> 
> For HopeRai Week 2015. Prompt: Wedding Ring

### NORA House Café and Grill

Hope shook his head at the towering man seated beside him. "I don’t think I can make it, Snow."

 

"C'mon, Hope." Snow clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sis is flying in tomorrow, and Saturday we're throwing her a welcome home party." 

 

"Y'know. You're going to dislocate his shoulder doing that." Noel, the youngest of the group, ribbed the large blond. Hope cast him a grateful look while Snow flashed his trademark grin and kept going.

 

"Nah. He's tougher than he looks."

 

"I don’t know about that. I think you bruised me this time." The gifted scientist continued his point from before. "I have a lot of wor-..."

 

Noel shook his head in feigned disgust. He admired his older friend's work ethic; sometimes he just overdid it. "What could possibly be more interesting than a party at the Villiers' place?"

 

"Well, we've almo-…." Hope was interrupted again.

 

"Oh, I think I know." Fang's sly tone cut across the men's banter. Snow and Noel leaned in anticipating their friend's embarrassment to follow. Hope propped his elbows on the table then dropped his head into his hands. Inarticulate sounds of denial and surrender issued from him. "There's that cute little assistant of his. What's her name?" The woman's grin sharpened. "Oh, yeah. Alyssa, isn't it? In the office." She paused for effect then drawled the last word out for emphasis. "Alooooone...." The two men not on the receiving end of Fang's special brand of humor guffawed loudly as the implication hit them.

 

"Really, Fang?!" Hope snapped his head up to glare at his so-called friends.  _ Traitors! The lot of them. _ Fang simply shrugged her shoulders indifferent to his ire. This only served to frustrate the man more. "A - I'm not interested in  **anyone** . B - We're coworkers; office romances are  **highly** inadvisable. C - She's my  **assistant** . Do you really think I'm that unprofessional, that  **crass** , as to engage in that type of behavior with someone who may not feel in a position to turn me down?"

 

With an unconcerned wave of her hand, she answered, "Just a thought, luv." Another cunning smile, smaller than the last, appeared. "Your first point's the only important one, yeah? If you and the lady who caught your eye were both interested in each other, I don't think the last two points would hold water."

 

The eldest of the group spluttered. "How did we get on the subject of my love life again?"

 

Snickering, Noel corrected, "You mean your  **non-existent** love life?" He pointed to the woman sitting next to him. "That would be Fang plowing through social constructs again." The only lady in the group lifted her drink in a toast to the table at large. A wicked gleam shined in her eyes. This only served to increase the young man's amusement; his snickers turned into howls of laughter drawing every eye in the room.

 

_ I give up. _ Hope shook his head exasperatedly. "I have to go. Snow, are you still giving me a ride in to the office?"

 

Snow did a better job of not laughing, but it was a near thing. "Sure, bud. Let me pay the tab, and we're out."

 

##### Fifteen minutes later

A young woman, owner and primary bartender and cook of NORA House, approached the table shaking her head. "What did you say to him this time, Fang?" The group was a regular sight here, but it had been a while since Hope came in. Snow, Serah, and her sister, Lightning, knew the owner and management staff for most of their lives, and this made the relationship between them casual, more like family than business/customers.

 

"Nothing that didn't need to be said, Lebreau." At the younger woman's skeptical "Mmm-hmmm" Fang elaborated. "A couple of uncomfortable truths is all."

 

"Whatever you say, Fang." Lebreau considered their silver-haired friend. "Still, that's the most animated I've seen him since the wedding. He  **is** going to the party this weekend, right?"

 

"He doesn't know it yet, but yeah. Even if Vanille and I have to drag him kicking and screaming." Fang glanced at her watch. "Speaking of... I have to pick her up." Fang stood and threw a ten dollar tip on the table. "For any trouble I might've caused for your other customers." 

 

"Don't worry about it. I'd rather have you guys loud and rowdy than the maudlin stiffs that come in after dark to drown their sorrows." Lebreau tucked the tip into the top of her blouse as was her custom. "We'll see you later."  
  
Fang paused long enough to ask, "The whole gang's coming then?" At Lebreau's confirmation, she smirked widely. "Lightning will just **love** that."

 

### At Estheim Industries, Outside Research Alpha's Clean Lab

Snow sat in his customary spot after sending his Sunday security team on break. He shrewdly considered his less-than-pleased friend who took a seat against the wall. They were outside the first entrance to one of two clean labs housed within the research portion of Estheim Industries' business complex. Alpha Research was the experimental portion of E.I.'s R&D department. Beta Research refined Alpha Lab's findings into practical applications. As lead researcher and sitting CEO, Hope primarily oversaw Alpha Lab. 

 

"Don't let Fang get under your skin, kid." Hope quirked an eyebrow as a reprimand to his friend. "Yeah, I know you're older than me. I swear, though, sometimes you act like a pubescent teenager." Hope shook his head. "You're almost as good as Lightning at the nonverbal communication thing, Hope." 

 

Hope took that as his cue to try to explain  **again** why he couldn't make the party the next weekend. "Snow. I really don't think I can..."

 

Snow cut him off. "Fang and Vanille are picking you up. Their idea, not mine." Uncharacteristically stern, Snow continued, "Seriously, Hope. You lock yourself in here and never come out. It's not healthy."

 

"We do important work here, Snow. You know that better than most." Hope gestured toward the exit door indicating the general population at large. "That work can't get done unless I-…"

 

"Bullshit. Your team members aren't stupid people." Snow stood and leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed. "And I'll give credit where credit is due. I don't like Alyssa; you know that. She's still a damn fine scientist, and I think she's more responsible for running this place than you are." He stepped closer and placed both hands on the shorter man's shoulders. "You're hiding. Why? What's really eating you? Fang's comments shouldn't have messed with you like this."

 

Hope crossed his arms and looked sardonically back at his best friend. "Serah's been on you about me again, hasn't she?" 

 

Snow dropped his hands self-consciously. "Yeah, but don't think that doesn't mean the rest of us haven't noticed."

 

Hope considered Snow's words.  _ I've really been worrying them. That's not what I want to do. _ Making a decision, he extended a peace offering to the blond. "Alright. I'll try to explain myself. In my office. Over coffee."

 

Snow grinned broadly. "Done." Once the security team checked in with their boss, the two left for the building's cafeteria then made their way to Hope's office.

 

Hope stared into his coffee thinking about two things.  _ How did I find myself here? Where do I go from here? _ The first question triggered a bittersweet memory...

 

##### Flashback: Five Years Ago

Hope and his dad, Bartholomew, were driving home after visiting Hope's mother's grave. Because of construction they were unable to take their usual route which had the elder Estheim, who was driving, on edge. As they passed through an unfamiliar part of town, he drove over something that left their car drifting oddly to its right side. He pulled to the curb.

 

"I've got it, Dad." Hope unfastened his seat belt and got out to take a look. Sure enough, both tires were flat. He stood and poked his head in the window. "We'll need a tow. Unless you carry two spares." He tried to smile to lighten the mood.

 

Visiting days were always rough on the two men. Nora died eight years ago, and neither had been the same since. Hope became withdrawn while Bartholomew's health suffered in the years that followed. They both sought, and found, solace in their work. Unfortunately, with Nora gone, that was the only thing that bound them together. They made the best of it for her sake.

 

Bartholomew gratefully reciprocated. "I'm not that paranoid." He paused. "Although, now that I think about it, maybe I should be." 

 

Hope simply shook his head. "I don't think you have room in there, Dad."

 

"A tow it is, then." The elder Estheim pulled out his phone and dialed his insurance company's roadside assistance number. As he maneuvered through the automated menus, he continued, "Get in out of the cold, son."

 

"It's just a little cool, Dad. No big deal." Hope did as his father asked anyway. Once the call was complete, they sat in silence.

 

Thirty minutes later, a full forty-five minutes faster than promised, a large tow truck appeared. The logo on the side read "NORA Towing - Independently Contracted Dependable Service." As the truck pulled to a stop behind them, two  **very** large men stepped out. The Estheims looked at each other astonished and suddenly a little worried.

 

The taller of the two, a blond wearing a black bandana with a beige trench coat pulled over a blue vest and black shirt and pants, sauntered up to the driver's side door. A friendly and reassuring grin pulled his lips wide. "Hi. Snow Villiers, NORA Towing. We're here to help." He gave Bartholomew a thumbs up.

 

The equally massive redhead shouted, "Yo, Boss! I'm gonna pull in front of 'em so we can pull the car up the back." Snow waved at his partner in  acknowledgment.

 

Turning back to the car's occupants, he gestured for them to exit their vehicle. "Sorry. We need you out of there so we can pull it up onto the truck." Hope and Bartholomew both did as told.

 

Mr. Estheim struck up an awkward conversation as Hope looked on. "So. Mr. Villiers was it?" 

 

Snow waved the formality away. "Just Snow. That there's Gadot." 

 

Hope looked at the broad man.  _ Are those  _ _**surfer** _ _ shorts and only a jacket in this weather? _ The slighter man shivered in sympathy; the weather was cold unless layers were worn. He turned his attention back toward his father who had continued speaking. 

 

"Snow, then. Thank you for responding so quickly."

 

"No problem, Mr. Estheim." At the two men's surprised look, Snow explained, "Lebreau always insists on knowing who we're helping - by name if she can swing it." The roughness of grating machinery sounded as Gadot started the process of hitching the car onto the truck bed.

 

Hope grew a little suspicious. "And you find names before getting to the tow-site by...?"

 

"Oh, that. Maqui finds 'em in the company request database." Snow grinned proudly as he expounded upon his young friend's technical prowess. "It's really easy. Once he gets the VIN we're supposed to tow, he can find whatever he needs to."

 

Hope looked at his father then turned back to Snow. "Isn't that a breach of security?"

 

Snow considered the smaller man's point. "Maybe, but we prefer to think of it as going above and beyond in the customer service department." He grinned wide.

 

Hope looked for malice or ill-intent behind the smile. He was astounded to find none.  _ This guy's a huge kid! Or an imbecile. _ Giving up, he shook his head and allowed his dad to lead the conversation.

 

Little could the young man have predicted just what that chance meeting would gain and cost him over the next several years.

##### End Flashback

 

_ I could really use your help, Dad. _ Hope gazed dejectedly into his coffee.  _ Are they right? Am I just afraid? Hiding? And if so, from what? _

 

"Hope. You said you needed to talk." Snow smiled at his distracted companion. "I don't listen as well as Serah, but since you asked...."

 

Hope gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way" He gathered his thoughts. "Fang's teasing did get to me. A lot." Snow nodded.

 

The older man gathered his courage determined to be honest if it killed him.  _ It just might. _ "I'm not alone by choice. There really  **isn't** anyone I'm interested in. And why would I just hookup when I'm not interested?"

 

Snow answered wholeheartedly. "You wouldn't. No reason to." He was well aware of Hope's fears related to being alone; he also knew and fully endorsed the older man's moral code that insisted he at least be interested in who a person was before seeing where a relationship could go.

 

"Then why does it bother me when people assume Alyssa and I are together?" Conflicted green eyes met calm blue ones. "Or when they make comments like we should be together because we work well together? That it's so obvious there's something there and I'm not willing to face it? I simply don't like her that way." He drew a deep breath. "It's not even that I'm bothered by the assumptions or possibilities other people gossip about. I'm bothered because you're right. She's a competent, talented person. What's wrong with me that I can't muster any kind of interest in her?" It was well-known that Alyssa Zaidelle had a massive crush on her boss. She didn't go to any lengths at all to hide it despite his lack of interest or reciprocation. That lack of respect for him and their professional relationship annoyed Hope beyond measure; he was just too polite to make a scene about it. As his best friend and security manager, Snow was privy to all of this.

 

"Look, Hope. There's nothing wrong with you. You lost your mom when you were young. You and your dad were estranged for a long time, and that loss was part of it. Then, just as you were getting to know and trust us," Snow smiled sadly at Hope's squirming, "and repair your relationship with your dad, you lost him, too." He shook his head in pained understanding. "Isn't that reason enough for you to be a little gun shy when it comes to getting close to people? It'll take something pretty powerful for you to risk that kind of loss again." He paused with a smirk. "As for Alyssa. Let's just say she's the issue."

 

A knot formed in Hope's throat while Snow spoke.  _ This is it. I'm not afraid of people or relationships. I'm terrified of losing the people most important to me. And apparently I attract lunatics who don't recognize boundaries. _ "I guess."

 

Seeing his friend's distress worsen, Snow tried another tack. He pulled his necklace from beneath his shirt; it held the pendant matching Serah's earrings - the first gift he bought for her, his engagement pendant, and his wedding band. He said he wore all of that on a chain because it kept bits of Serah near his heart. He removed the wedding band and held it out to his distraught friend.  _ I didn't realize how badly he was taking all the teasing, and Alyssa's stalker tendencies aren't helping. Guess Serah was right. _ Gesturing for Hope to take it, Snow finally took the other man's hand and placed the ring in his palm.

 

Uncharacteristically serious, Snow gestured to the ring and asked, "What does that represent to you? What do you think that ring means?"

 

Hope looked at the ring then his friend. "It's your wedding band, Snow. It's what married couples wear to show they're in a formal relationship with another person."

 

Snow clapped his hand to his forehead.  _ Ow! Guess it does hurt if I'm not careful. _ "I didn't mean what it meant to other people. I asked what a ring like that means to  **you** . Or to the person wearing it if you'd rather not get personal about it."

 

Hope held the band up and examined it. Speaking through his thought process, he rambled a bit. "It's a circle. A symbol of cycles - of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It represents eternity and connections. Wholeness or oneness. Mated pairs like male/female, day/night, positive/negative." He clenched his hand around the ring. Quietly he asked the question that's haunted him since his mother died; the answer would shed light on his father and the bits of life his mother hadn't been able to explain to him before she died. "How do you know?"

 

Snow was nodding along with Hope's description until the last question. "How do you know what?"

 

Hope gently placed the ring back in Snow's hand. "How do you know when you meet someone who represents all of that to you? Who fills you so completely that there is no room for anything that isn't part of you or her to begin with?"

 

"For me?" A quiet, content smile cracked through Snow's seriousness. "When I first laid eyes on her, I saw forever in Serah's eyes."

 

_ Of course Snow would say something horrifically cheezy and over-simplified like that. _ Hope took a sip of his now-cold coffee and made a face. "That's it. Between your cheese factor and this disgustingly cold liquid dirt that replaced my coffee, we're done here."

 

After walking Snow out his office door, Hope worked on administrative duties. As he watched the sunset out his window he thought back to Fang's teasing and Snow's surprising wisdom.  _ Fang's right. If I found someone who fit me the way Serah fits Snow or Vanille fits Fang, everything else wouldn't matter as much. _

 

### Next Day: Villiers Residence

"Welcome home, Lightning." Serah grinned ear-to-ear as her sister finally returned home. _She's been gone so long. The military was supposed to be a way for us to be together without worrying about money and necessities. Instead, it took my sister away from me._ Serah quietly recalled how everything fell apart.

 

Lightning was born the night Claire and Serah Farron's parents died in an accident when the elder Farron was fifteen. A good family friend, Sazh Katzroy, and his wife took her and Serah in so they wouldn't be separated. Determined to take care of her sister herself, Lightning joined the army right out of high school. She'd been convinced to sign on for an extended six-year enlistment by the allure of a higher rank and more pay. She and Serah accepted she'd have to leave the younger on her own with the recently bereaved Sazh and his newborn son Dajh while she finished training. The army needed her elsewhere, though, and her first duty station was overseas. She was shipped out on an unaccompanied tour for her first three years in service. While her last three years had officially seen her assigned closer to home, she'd spent so much time on temporary duty elsewhere that she and Serah hadn't effectively lived together in the six years after she officially enlisted. Much to her chagrin and Serah's disappointment, she missed Serah's wedding to Snow. Lightning, now a decorated soldier, was home on terminal leave after helping her unit wrap up a humanitarian mission. The only thing she wanted was to get to know her sister again and make a smooth transition back to civilian life.

 

"Hello, Serah." Lightning hugged her petite sister gently. "Where's Snow?" Ecstatic to see Serah again, she stepped back and set her bag down just inside the front door.

 

"He's at work." Serah looped her arm through her sister's and pulled her deeper into the house.

 

"Wasn't he working with Lebreau and the others on a café and towing service?" _And didn't that leave him home more often than not?_ The elder felt her frustration rising. _He's not even here, and he aggravates me._

 

"Lebreau and Yuj handle the café while Gadot and Maqui run the towing and repair service." Serah leading the way, they stepped into the dining room where a pot of tea and snacks waited. Lightning's stomach growled loudly. "Long flight?" The twinkle in Serah's eyes belied the solicitation in her tone.

 

Lightning ignored her teasing. "So, if Snow's not working with the NORA gang, what's he doing?" She sat down and poured herself and her sister a cup of tea before placing some snacks on a small plate.

 

"He works in security." Serah nodded in thanks for the tea and took a sip before continuing. "He's actually head of security for Estheim Industries."

 

Blinking quizzically, Light asked for clarification. " **Head** of security? As in **the Boss** , head of security?" At her sister's amused nod she continued. "For Estheim Industries?" Another nod from Serah. "Sounds like he grew up."

 

"That's not nice, Sis." Serah sighed. _I wish Claire would at least_ _ **try**_ _to get along with Snow._ She changed topics. "We have the second bedroom set up for as long as you need it." The elder gave a tired nod. "We'll get you all unpacked and settled after we finish here." Her sister hummed in response. The rest of their time eating was spent silently enjoying each others' company.

 

When they finished and Serah was leading Lightning upstairs, the younger remembered the party on Saturday. "Oh, hey! Sorry, I almost forgot." She turned toward her sister. "We're having a welcome home party for you on Saturday." Seeing Lightning's expression tighten in disapproval, Serah cut her off. "No backing out. Everyone's already been invited. You'll be able to see them all at once instead of spreading multiple get togethers over several days."

 

The soldier gave up trying to change her sister's mind. _I never could deny her anything if it was in my power to give it._ Nodding in defeat, Light asked, "Who's everyone?"

 

Serah happily answered. "Other than me and Snow, the NORA gang will be here. So will Sazh and Dajh." She smiled. "Oh, and Fang and Vanille; you met them a few years back. Vanille and I went to school together along with Noel. He's coming with Yeul." Ignoring her sister's increasingly flinty stare as the guest list grew, they stopped at the door to Lightning's bedroom. "And Hope will be here, too. I don't think you've met him, yet." A concerned look crossed her face before Serah dismissed it. "He's with Estheim Industries, too. You haven't met him because he was always working when you came home on leave, but he'll be here for the party." She opened the door for her sister. "Anyway, why don't you unpack and relax. You have a three-quarters bath through that door right there," Serah pointed to a door half hidden behind the room's main door. "I'm so happy you're home, Claire." She hugged her sister again, then walked back into the main part of the house.

 

Lightning stood in her doorway trying to figure out how a small get together, which she'd honestly been expecting, of just Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Dajh became a party with people she didn't know well or at all. _It's Serah. No further explanation necessary._ Shrugging in resignation, she decided her first order of business was a shower followed by a nap. _At least that much hasn't changed._

 

### Saturday, Lightning's Welcome Home Party: Villiers Residence

The party was in full swing. It had only been twenty minutes since the NORA gang walked in with Noel and Yeul, and Lightning already wanted to bail. _We still have four, no make that five, more people showing up._ She stepped outside into the backyard for some peace. _At least the bass isn't pounding through my head out here._ The soldier leaned against the deck banister absorbing the relative silence. She ignored the car that pulled up until voices drifted toward her as the occupants approached the front door. _Great. The last guests have arrived._

 

Five minutes later, Vanille burst through the sliding glass door and immediately skipped toward Lighting. "Light! You made it. We're glad you're home." The soldier snorted.

 

"Where else would I be than at my own party, Vanille?" Lightning tolerated Vanille's hug for a brief moment then stepped away. Vanille smiled brightly at Fang as if to say "Told you she'd let me!"

 

"Be nice to my Vanille, Sunshine." Fang ambled toward the other woman and her lover. "Otherwise, I might just have to take that smart mouth of yours a round or two in the yard."

 

"Please. You couldn't take me on my worst day." Lightning shifted her weight to her left foot and placed her left hand on the matching hip.

 

Fang circled around behind her to put an arm around Vanille. "Care to wager on that?" Light smirked as she turned to face the taller woman head-on.

 

Hope stopped with Dajh at the patio door. The pink haired woman, what he could see of her, was gorgeous; possessing a more lissome build than Serah, the elder sister held his attention like no other woman had in his adult life. He'd heard the exchange between the soldier and Fang, though, and it cast her beauty in a cold light. _Who in their right mind would take Fang on in a free-for-all?_ He decided to observe her before approaching with his own well-wishes. _If she's like this with people she knows, I don’t even_ _ **want**_ _to know what she'll be like with a stranger._

 

As Lightning gestured ahead toward the yard, Sazh stepped in to defuse the situation between the women and immediately pulled her into a hug. "Hey, Soldier Girl. Good to see you. Miss us?"

 

Lightning hid her smile in the hug. "Like the flu, Old Man."

 

He stumbled back in mock affront. "What? An' here we came all this way just to see you."

 

She rolled her eyes. "Right."

 

As she returned Sazh's hug, the young man was struck by how indifferent her expression seemed for the barest of glimpses he managed to get. _This man supported her and her sister, raised her sister after she joined the army. And she dismisses him like this? Why does Sazh tolerate her?_ His opinion of the woman dropped further.

 

Dajh dashed toward her before Hope could grab him. "Miss Lightning!" The young boy wrapped his arms around her legs. "You're home! You get to stay now, right?"

 

Lightning's face softened slightly. Gently unwrapping him from around her legs, she smiled softly and knelt down. "Yes, Dajh. I'm home for good, now." She enveloped the child in an embrace and lifted him into her arms. A furtive movement caught her attention. Pulling Dajh closer to her out of reflex, she snapped her attention to her sister's doorway. The man standing there stared at her with a dazzled expression. His intensity held her captivated; her unwillingness to break the spell left her feeling unusually awkward.

 

Generally, Hope prided himself on his analytical mind and ability to think quickly on his feet. As he watched the apparently aloof woman with the boy, his impression of her began to shift. _Was I wrong? She's kind to Dajh._ He considered her behavior in a new light. _Maybe it's just adults she's uncomfortable around._ When he saw the small smile she gave Dajh, static short circuited his brain. _She really is beautiful._ He dropped the arm he'd raised to catch his friend's son. That caught her attention. When she looked up and he met her eyes, all his mental functions shut down.

 

She was unnerved by how much of himself he revealed to her. She saw his loneliness, his grief, his vulnerability. Lightning willingly relinquished Dajh to his father without noticing, nor did she notice as Fang and Vanille brushed by her. She was too busy gazing deeper into the unknown man's heart. She saw his strength, his nobility of spirit, and his passion. Surprising herself, she found she wanted to ease his pain and bask in his warmth.

 

Hope vaguely reconsidered if eyes were truly the windows to the soul as poets ascribe. With her, they certainly were. He saw her sadness, her fear, her weariness. He gazed deeper unconcerned with the silence that had fallen between them or his other friends who stepped around him to re-enter the house. He saw her fierceness, her loyalty, her protectiveness. And he wanted it all. _I can see into eternity through her eyes._

 

They stepped toward each other stopping a pace or two apart. Hope spoke first. "Hi. Um, I'm Hope. Hope Estheim." She smiled and extended her hand.

 

He took her hand gently in his and held it. Hope said softly, "Welcome home, Lightning."

 

She answered him. "Call me Light." He reciprocated her smile.

 

Serah and Snow turned away from the patio door and went back to the party. "They'll be in when they're ready," was all they told the others.


End file.
